By the time this album was released, the group had branched out a bit from their punk-influenced pop music stylings and grouchy personal-relationship-based lyrics. Half the songs on this album (among them "Dead
Loss Angeles'', "Nuclear Device," "Shah Shah a Gogo," and "Genetix") spout verses critical of social or political issues. Only the first of these four numbers, with its clipped vocal delivery and stripped-down, bass-heavy arrangement, shows significant Brit-punk influence. Certain songs here exhibit strong mainstream tendencies with no hardcore sensibilities whatsoever, such as "Duchess" (a tuneful power pop number with clear chart-oriented influences) and "Don't Bring Harry" (a slow-tempo, piano-dominated selection). Still other influences can be seen in "Meninblack," a Devo-derived number featuring a synthesized clipped beat/electronic pulse texture, chilly and sanitized-sounding organ, lockstep drums, and Alvin and the Chipmunks-style sped-up vocals. The intriguing "Ice" boasts interesting production touches and an inventively dubious tonal focus. The songs are lengthy, with at times prolix instrumental openings and interludes. Sound quality on the EMI America re-release is uneven at times, with occasional distortion in the drums and percussive low synthesizer. This is a generally good album worth hearing. Original pressings of this release have a 3-D picture on the front cover. Approximately half the songs on this album would be reissued one year later on the U.S. label release IV.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
The Stranglers - the raven (1979)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Contact
Popular Posts of the Week
-
If i ask you'what is the funniest band from early years?'.Maybe it's hard to think which band could be?But i'm sure that you...
-
The Smashing Pumpkins was an influential American alternative rock band which formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Less influenced by p...
-
The MM blog presents its the unique end of the year list. 1. John Vanderslice - Emerald City 2. Fiery Furnaces - Widow City 3. Panda Bear - ...
-
White Blood Cells (2001) is the third album by American rock band The White Stripes. White Blood Cells eventually reached #61 on the Billb...
-
The first single released ahead of the full album by Peter Bjorn & John left me feeling unimpressed. It was strange, and it felt like a...
-
Album of the day Second solo album from former Skunk Anansie lead-singer Skin. This is the follow-up to 2003's 'Fleshwounds' and...
-
Modern Music 80s Rock The recurring statement through your ’70s interviews was about trying to shake off that middle class ball and chain. ...

1 COMMENTS:
Pass = crunchiedo
Post a Comment